


joke's on him

by grandmas_ghost (nap_princess)



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Bad Ending, F/M, I wrote this fic for me but y'all can read it if you want, Lisanna my Queen, Lissy Babe, Modern AU, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Relationship, nali brotp, school au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 15:39:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14855526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nap_princess/pseuds/grandmas_ghost
Summary: "No, that was all just a joke. I didn't mean any of it," / Put another 'X' on the calendar, Summer's on its deathbed. There is simply nothing worse than knowing how it ends– Bixanna but also not really with slight Nalu on the side but also not really, bittersweet school AU(April Fools ...?)





	joke's on him

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Calendar](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/387878) by Panic! At the Disco!. 
  * Inspired by [Queens Cant Sleep](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/387884) by thundercow. 



** joke's on him **

* * *

 Put another 'X' on the calendar,  
Summer's on its deathbed,  
There is simply nothing worse than knowing how it ends.

– **Panic! at the Disco** , _The Calendar_

* * *

"I'm … melting," Natsu Dragneel sighs, not even having the energy to shout (for once).

A collection of groans in the living room is the only response the pinkette gets in return. Lisanna Strauss fans herself, a weak attempt to cool herself down. Wendy rolls over on the sofa, trying to lay her head on the cool side of the pillow she was on. Elfman looked like he was about to pass out from dehydration or a heat coma, if such a thing exists.

"… Help me …" Natsu begs as he feels the sweat gathering on his forehead slide down his face. He didn't think it was possible to sweat this much from just laying down and doing nothing all day.

"Soz, mate. Can't." Bickslow replies, feeling his t-shirt stick to him like second skin. He thinks the carpet's already soaked with his sweat.

Natsu licks his dry lips together and announces, "Guess I'll just die then."

"Take me with you, _please_." Lisanna groans, extending an arm towards Natsu. Even at death's door, Lisanna is polite.

No one in the room questions her plead. Natsu is one of her best friends, after all. The other is Lucy Heartfilia but the blonde girl's too busy enjoying life to be suffering with them right now. The lucky girl is on a family vacation, on a cruise or something else luxurious.

Lisanna, Natsu and Lucy, ah, a golden trio. Or maybe, more like Lisanna third-wheeling Natsu and Lucy since they became a thing last Spring.

"Take you with me? No, why the fuck would I do that?" Natsu asks, trying to shoot a look. It's a sad attempt.

"Language!" Mirajane calls from the kitchen. There's anger in her voice, just enough irritation to send a shiver down Natsu's back. Mirajane wonders, did Natsu forget his sister was too young to hear such a foul word? Wendy is the human embodiment of a pure cinnamon roll. And Mirajane is determined to retain Wendy's pure cinnamon roll-ness.

"Sorry, Mira." Natsu says softly. If he had some strength in him, he'd turn his head for sure. Or at least frown. Then he says to Lisanna, "You can't come with me, you're supposed to stay back and tell my family I love them."

"You're the worst best friend ever." Lisanna tells Natsu.

"No, Natsu isn't." Bickslow throws a pillow at Lisanna and whacks her in the face. "He's got a point, Lissy babe, you can't go and leave me all alone."

Lisanna sputters at the nickname. Bickslow's been calling her that ever since she got back from the Strauss' own mini-family road trip. "Don't call –"

Their conversation is cut short when Mirajane slams down a tray of cold lemonade on the coffee table.

"Behave yourselves," Mirajane snaps, even the heat was getting to her lovely personality. Mirajane sends her sister and Bickslow a pointed look before she begins pouring the lemonade pitcher and hands the first cup to Wendy.

Of course, Bickslow does **not** behave himself. Being the little shit prankster he is, Bickslow takes the opportunity to fish out some ice while Mirajane's back is turned and flicks a couple of cubes at Lisanna's direction. He says, "You need to _chill,_ Lissy babe."

"Bickslow-senpai!" Lisanna fusses in annoyance, hands protecting her face.

"It was a joke!" Bickslow defends himself, blinking at her like he was a sweet, innocent angel.

Natsu scoffs, now sitting up from the couch, "No, that was a **terrible** pun!"

Mirajane hushes everyone with one fierce look. "All of you will stop bickering at once or you won't get any lemonade!"

The three immediately shut up at such a threat.

The heat crisis is momentarily solved as everyone scrambles to gulp down their cold drinks. It helps for a little bit but it's not enough to beat the Summer heat. Even under the protection of a sturdy roof and the full blast of the AC, the sun roasts the Strauss siblings and their friends/neighbours. It was so hot that it was debatable for someone to fry an egg on the sidewalk.

"We should do something." Elfman says to the others in the room, finishing his third glass of lemonade.

Lisanna was ninety-nine percent sure her brother was hallucinating and talking aloud. What on earth could they do in this damn heat?

"Besides die?" Bickslow jokes, lifting his head slightly from a decorative pillow. His eyes fluttered tiredly. If he wasn't so keen on annoying Lisanna by poking her arm every five minutes, he would have dozed off already.

"Yeah, besides die. We should do something fun." Elfman replies, a shine behind his dark eyes. "There's only one way to beat this Summer heat –" Elfman pauses, giving just enough dramatic effect to hold Natsu's short attention span and make Mirajane raise a brow. "– a classic water balloon fight."

Several gasps of excitement circles around the living room.

"Boys vs girls!" Elfman calls out suddenly, making Wendy jump.

Natsu lets out a crackle, sounding very much like the _Wicked Witch of the East_ , and Bickslow hollers on the top of his lungs in excitement, raising a fist in the air.

So, it was Elfman, Natsu and Bickslow versus Mirajane, Lisanna and Wendy.

Mirajane sniffs the air. Ah, the smell of competition in the afternoon. She's unphased by that declaration. "Fine," She says, her cornflower blue eyes twinkling.

"Last one back at the Strauss' front yard without their swim wear and water-guns has to buy the balloons!" Wendy practically yells, voice booming. This time, she's the one startling everybody else. But Wendy's words sink in not even half a second later and everyone scrambles to get their stuff and not be the loser.

"Fuck me! I live the farthest from you bitches!" Bickslow curses as he races out the front door and attempts to book it down the block, long limbs working on maximum capacity.

Elfman only laughs in return and Lisanna calls a "Don't forget to buy the balloons on the way back, Bickslow-senpai!"

Mirajane doesn't have time to scold Bicslow on his language, she's busy taking two steps at a time to grab her swimsuit and then dash to the garage and get the biggest water pistol. She'll let it slide this one time, there is no time to pause.

Today is gonna be fun.

...

"That's cheating!" Wendy says, a laugh in her voice.

"It's not cheating if it helps cool you off!" Mirajane says, spraying the young girl and her brother with the garden hose.

Mirajane's wet fringe sticks to her forehead and water droplets gets into her crinkling eyes. To be honest, it's a little irritating but it doesn't really matter now that she's out of the game. The only ones remaining were Lisanna, Natsu and Bickslow. Sadly, it seems like the boys were going to win.

"C – Can't we talk this out, senpai?" Mirajane hears Lisanna asks. There's a defeated shutter in Lisanna's plead.

Did Mirajane say the boys were 'going' to win? Scratch that, the boys _will_ win. Well, it was good while it lasted. Lisanna was definitely going to get shot by a water pistol, taken out by Bickslow.

"What's there to talk about, babe?" Bickslow asks, a grin on his face. He was a good ten feet away from her but he was still within range to fire his water gun. "You're gonna lose, and we're gonna win!"

"Please?" Lisanna tries regardless.

Bickslow opens his mouth to laugh but then stops. His green eyes widen and he points his water gun at her direction. At first, Lisanna thinks, _Oh no, I'm done for it!_ But then she notices how Bickslow wasn't aiming **at** her but **behind** her!

"Look out!" He yells.

Lisanna goes through two quick phases of confusion. She's alarmed but then she smirks. Ha! What sorcery is this? Bickslow has always been such a jokester, like she's about to fall for such a trick –

But a water balloon hitting the back of her head proves Lisanna wrong. She gasps, "Uwah!"

"Got you!" Natsu's familiar voice yells in triumph.

"I'll avenge you, Lissy babe!" Bickslow says then races towards Natsu with a determined look.

Lisanna cringes at the name because it sounds oh-so cliché. Just because Bickslow's about to avenge her doesn't mean he can call her such a name. And she expresses this.

"Don't call me that!" Lisanna pouts, face a few shades pinker. She was embarrassed.

"Aww, don't be embarrassed, babe!" Bickslow says, a grin plastered on his face. He was good at reading her moods. Bickslow sends Lisanna a cheeky air kiss then races after her rambunctious best friend, hot on a pursuit, basically on Natsu's tail.

In return, Natsu lets out a laugh at the thrill of being chased. The pinkette nearly falls on slippery grass as he attempts to shake Bickslow off him; calling Bickslow every insult in his colourful dictionary of names, playing dirty by trying to squirt water in Bickslow's eyes and throwing leftover water balloons on the ground.

Lisanna has to admit, watching Bickslow hunt Natsu down was comical. Tactic flew completely out the window. It was just pure yelling and low-key threats. As Natsu and Bickslow continue egging on each other, Lisanna couldn't help but smile. Such silly friends she has.

"ARGH!" Natsu yells out in anguish then dramatically collapses on muddied grass.

Bickslow holds up his water gun in glee. "I got him, Lissy!"

"Thanks a lot, Bi – Kyah!" Lisanna yelps, feeling a blast of water on her back. She turns around just in time to see Mirajane laugh at her shock. "Mira-nee!"

"All's fair in love and war!"

* * *

Before school starts, Bickslow lays out his pranks to Lisanna. All harmless and super, _super_ annoying. It included stacking paper cups and creating barriers at random classroom entrances, starting food fights and releasing the gerbils (again)!

Bickslow had made a list of pranks and everything. He wants to put everything into motion; it's a conga-line of mischief and laughs. Hopefully, he won't get kicked out of school and still graduate this year.

Hehe, such a goofy boy.

A light tap brings Lisanna back to reality.

"Huh?" Lisanna blinks, closing her locker shut. _Right_ , it was the first day of school.

The finger pokes Lisanna again, this time more eager. Lisanna turns to her right, the source of the tapping, only to be met with thin air. Ehhh, no one there? She doesn't even get the chance to frown before she hears a familiar laugh.

Lisanna realises she's just fallen for some lame old trick.

"Senpai!" She says, not even bothering to turn to the other side to face him.

Ever since she had become comfortable with Bickslow, he's gone out of his way to pull the same prank every opportunity he had around her. And each time, Lisanna falls for it. Honestly, to Bickslow, it'll never get old.

"Ha, fooled you, Lissy babe." Bickslow's familiar voice echoes to her left.

Lisanna turns and makes a face at him while Lucy exchanges a glance with Natsu, mouthing the word 'Lissy babe?' in confusion. Natsu just shrugs in a manner that said 'Yeah, so that's a thing now'.

Bickslow only offers a teasing grin before he decides to turn and walk away.

"You interrupted my beautiful morning just for that?" Lisanna asks, playfully.

"Yup!" Bickslow calls. But before he leaves for good, he says, "By the way, Lis, you have a spider on your backpack." Then he's out of her sight, blending back into the crowded hallway.

Lisanna swears her heart almost dropped. A spider? That's **not** something to joke about. Her big blue eyes go wide and she exclaims, "Is there _really_ a spider on my back?!"

"Oh, you know Bickslow-senpai's just playing arou –" Lucy starts to say but then stops and shrieks. She jumps three feet away from her friends with inhuman speed and collides with a rando in her way.

"Watch it!" The student hisses but Lucy's too busy freaking out to care.

Lucy inhales and points a manicured finger, "OhmyGod, there **is** a spider on your back!"

At this, Lisanna lets out her own shriek and attempts to brush the arachnid off her backpack. Sadly, her arms couldn't reach her back. She cries out, "Natsu, do something!"

Students stop and stare at the three.

Feeling put on the spot, Natsu shouts, equally panicky, "Do WHAT?!"

"Kill it with fire!" Lisanna answers, jumping around.

"Why _me_?" Natsu asks, he doesn't like spiders either.

"Well, I'm not going to be the one to touch it!" Lucy says, holding her hands close to her while Lisanna continues dancing around like a mad man. "Plus, you're the guy in this trio! Do your job, prove your manliness! Step forward!"

"What if it bites me?" Natsu hesitates as Lisanna continues to panic.

The blonde tells him, "Best-case scenario is you end up the next Spiderman, worst-case scenario is you end up dead!"

Natsu's face falls. "Oh God, you two will be the death of me!"

"It's fake!" A third-party voice intervenes, reaching out to Lisanna's backpack then holds out a _very_ fake spider for all to see.

The Golden trio immediately freeze. It takes a second for things to click but when they do, they're a little pissed off. Damn Bickslow and his pranks!

...

"Hey," Bickslow greets Lisanna during lunch. He slides into the seat next to her with ease, like a fuckboy slipping thirsty DMs, then picks up an orange slice from Lisanna's tray. He pops it into his mouth before Lisanna can say anything to stop him.

She grumbles in response.

Lisanna wonders if he had deliberately walked all the way to her table just to pull another prank on her. Why even tell her about his schemes if he's going to pull some of them on her too? Doesn't he know she has dirt on him and could easily expose his little shenanigans?

Lisanna turns her head, only showing him one side of her face. "Go away, I'm still mad at you about the spider prank."

"Oh, come on, Lissy babe. I'm sorry." Bickslow says with a mouthful of orange. He was giving her a fond look though.

"No,"

"Let me make it up to you." Bickslow says then immediately tangles a hand in her white hair. He brings Lisanna's face closer towards his puckered lips and then –

"Eh?"

– blows a loud raspberry into her ear.

"Ew, senpai!" Lisanna shrieks and pulls away. A loud pop sound echoes as Bickslow's lips pull away from her exposed ear.

Despite Natsu and Lucy being mad at Bickslow earlier, they find their irritation easily melting away at the sight of Lisanna falling for such an outcome. Natsu laughs so hard that he almost falls off the lunch table's bench and even Lucy starts doing those silent seal clap things.

"That's so immature!" Lisanna calls out to Bickslow who's already running away.

Bickslow lets out a horrendously loud chortle in reply as Lisanna rubs her ear and watches him make his way back to his friends. He tells her, "It's a joke!" Then once again disappears from her sight.

"Yeah, yeah. Everything's a joke to you." Lisanna says under her breath irritably. She rubs off the sticky orange residue from her ear. Ick, _gross_!

As soon as Bickslow's far enough, Lucy turns to Lisanna and Natsu with a grin playing on her lips. Lucy says, smiling at Lisanna, "I like him."

"Hey! Are you forgetting your boyfriend's sitting right here?" Natsu asks, pointing at himself.

He gets an eyeroll. Lucy answers, "I mean as in, I like the fact that he's a fun guy."

"Yeah, _real_ fun." Lisanna says dryly. "Such a _funny_ guy."

"He's a good choice for a boyfriend." Lucy says.

At that moment, Natsu almost chokes on the soda he was sipping on and Lisanna stares so hard at Lucy she swears her eyeballs might just pop out of their sockets. Lisanna felt like _Ginny Weasley_ when _Harry Potter_ showed up at her house one random morning.

Lisanna asks, "What do you mean?"

"Aren't you guys dating?" Lucy questions back.

"What? No! Where'd you hear that?" Lisanna gaps.

This time, Lucy is the one looking confused. "Er … Bickslow-senpai?"

"And you decided **not** to tell me this?" Lisanna asks then leans back and crosses her arms.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" Lucy asks. "I go away for a couple of months over the Summer and suddenly Bickslow-senpai's telling me you two are dating each other."

Lisanna says hotly, " _Oh_ , I bet this is another one of his jokes. _Unbelievable_! I know how he gets, but, _really_?"

"Did you hear Bickslow say it himself or was it from somebody else?" Natsu asks his girlfriend.

"You know I don't believe in petty rumours flying around." Lucy shakes her head. "No, I didn't hear it from someone else. Like I said, it was Bickslow-senpai. He told me himself and he sounded **so** serious about it too." Lucy tells her friends, unsure on why Bickslow would lie.

Natsu speaks up, now scratching his chin, "Hmm, I think I might have heard Bickslow say a few things. But I dunno … I'm usually oblivious to gossip. I just assumed it was all a joke."

"I hate him and his dumb pranks," Lisanna uncrosses her arms now and ruffles her short hair with her hands.

"I don't see why you're so angry at him. It's harmless." Lucy says. She's a little lost and confused, she only moved to Magnolia High in Freshman year, but she was slowly getting the gist of it as the gaps got filled.

"You should be on my side, Lucy. He's meddling in my love life!" Lisanna grumbles again. She tries to guess the reason behind it until a question pops into her head. "Wait," Lisanna slides her eyes away from her food and towards Lucy's face. "Why were you talking to Bickslow-senpai to begin with?"

"Oh, he said he wanted to get you something for your birthday so he asked me what you liked."

"Then it must be another prank, the master plan! All of this is one huge prank and my birthday is the final blow." Lisanna says then snaps her fingers and addresses Natsu. "Hey, remember the time in middle school when Senpai taught himself how to play _Careless Whisper_ on the sax just so he could follow random teachers around between classes?"

"Oh yeah, Bickslow bugged the hell out of them!" Natsu exclaims, a smile now plastered on his face in reminiscence.

"… _Careless Whisper_? Following teachers? Sounds like a nightmare." Lucy answers.

Natsu says, "Bickslow played it so much that the principal banned it."

Lisanna slaps a hand on the table, "Damn right he did. Which is why I want this matter brought to your attention."

"It was hilarious!"

"No, it wasn't!"

Lucy lets out an uncertain hum. Now sliding to Lisanna's side. "I dunno, I think you're brushing this off too easily, Natsu. I kinda get why Lisanna's so upset now."

Natsu just waves his hand idly. "Nah, it's fine –"

"No, it's not." Lisanna interjects. "If he was that determined to irritate a bunch of teachers back then I'm a goner for sure when my birthday rolls around!"

"Okay, _personally_ I think it's fine." Natsu explains then shrugs. "Maybe it's because me and Bickslow –"

"Bickslow and I," Lucy corrects.

"– whatever, Bickslow and I have the same sense of humour. I've known the guy since middle school, he lives around the corner from my house – he's always joking around! There **isn't** really a reason to take him seriously. When he says stuff, it's like he's the boy who cries wolf except he means no harm and is waaay funnier. So you, know," He turns to Lisanna, "Maybe you shouldn't take Bickslow so seriously, Lis?"

Lisanna only purses her lips together, tapping a finger on the table. She knows Bickslow was originally Natsu's friend first and therefore knows him better, but can she really just let things be?

...

"You must think you're **so** funny!" A boy's voice booms, grabbing Bickslow's backpack strap. He pulls so hard that Bickslow almost falls backwards and hurts himself.

"Hey, what the fuck man?!" Bickslow snaps, saving himself from the fall.

From afar, Lisanna snaps her attention at Bickslow's bickering voice. She stands up on her tippy-toes, being in the right place at the right time to see Bickslow get into an argument.

The boy brushes off Bickslow's claim and instead asks his own question, "You think I don't know who you are? Ha! You're that senior who always plays jokes on everyone! This is one of your jokes, ain't it?"

"What?" Bickslow sputters. He hardly calls stepping on someone's shoe a joke, it was more of an accident. The hall is filled with hundreds of kids, of course, there's gonna be some shoving and bumping. "No, it's not."

"Liar,"

"I didn't do it on purpose."

" **Liar**! Liar, liar, pants on fire!" The boy says louder, pointing an accusing finger. Half of Bickslow wanted to bite it.

"Look, it was an accident, alright? I'm sorry." Bickslow says then offers a friendly, apologetic smile.

"You're sorry? Pssshhh, no, you're not! You think your pranks are so _gosh-darn_ funny but they're not. They're **lame**. And guess what, you're a joke!" The boy barks at Bickslow, making Bickslow's usual wide grin drop. It's clear that he's hurt Bickslow's feelings.

It was a split second reaction. Forgetting her irritation about this morning's pranks, Lisanna finds herself pushing past the ring of students surrounding Bickslow and the boy. At that moment, Lisanna Strauss doesn't think she's ever felt angrier. In fact, she didn't think she _could_ feel **this** angry.

To be this mad, why, Lisanna didn't think it was possible for her 5'3 body to bottle up this much fury. She knows she can't do much but she wants to hurt this boy as much as he's hurt Bickslow. Pushing the crowd aside even more, Lisanna makes just enough room to wedge herself between the wall of people and strides over to the two teenagers.

"At least people **like** jokes!" Lisanna found herself saying as she marches over to the boy and pokes him in the chest – _hard_. She doesn't care if he's taller or stronger or scary. No one messes with her friend.

"What?" The bully gaps.

Bickslow's eyes go wide, he tries to catch Lisanna's wrist. He doesn't want her involved in this fight – _his_ fight – but Lisanna shakes it off.

She repeats herself. "I said: at least people like jokes! _You_ on the other hand! No one likes a bully like you!"

This is the meanest thing to have ever come out of Lisanna's mouth. Bickslow feels guilty. He had subconsciously provoked Lisanna to tell this guy off.

The crowd echoes an "Ooohhh, sick burn!"

The boy stands there shocked that _this girl_ is challenging him while Bickslow grabs her shoulder.

"Lissy babe, no." Bickslow says then addresses the boy. "Look, I'm sorry I stepped on your shoe. I'll be more careful next time. Don't take my babe's words to heart."

The boy only squints at Bickslow for what felt like the longest time before he swears lowly under his breath and rushes away. The crowd that formed around them dispersed just as quickly too.

When it didn't seem like anyone was there to eavesdrop, Bickslow turns back to Lisanna and says, "Fuck, you're my hero, Lissy babe!"

"It was nothing,"

Hand still on her shoulder, he rubs his thumb gently in small circles. Bickslow says almost too quietly, "I love you, y'know that?" His face lits up like a Christmas tree. He even had a confident smile on his face and everything when he said this.

Lisanna can only blush and punch his shoulder in return. "Don't say such an embarrassing thing! And stop calling me 'Lissy babe'!"

* * *

Lisanna Strauss's smile is magical and her laughter is a gift from heaven, and no one can tell Bickslow otherwise. He especially loves it when **he** gets to make her laugh with his silliness and childish pranks and stupid little jokes.

* * *

"Are you sure Bicks and Lisanna are dating?" Laxus Dreyar asks Evergreen.

The relationship seemed questionable in Laxus's eyes. Especially after Laxus saw the reaction Lisanna made; pulling her hand away from Bickslow who tried to hold it. Lisanna had made a face and said "Oh, you and your pranks, Senpai" before lightly slapping Bickslow's arm playfully.

Evergreen glares at her blonde friend. "What kind of question is that? Of course, they are! Lisanna's just not touchy-feely, that's all!" And they say she's the one who needs glasses!

Laxus doesn't seem convinced though. "What makes you so sure?"

"Don't you remember the day Bicks excitedly spammed the group chat with gibberish before he got his story straight and told us 'Lisanna said yes!'?"

"Yeah, but …" Laxus looks at his group of friends. His girlfriend, Mirajane, is talking excitedly to Elfman while Lisanna is laughing at something Bickslow has said. "That's what _Bicks_ said, not Lisanna."

"Are you saying that Bicks has been lying to us all this time? That's ridiculous!" Evergreen challenges. Her stare was enough to turn Medusa herself into stone.

"No, I'm not saying Bicks's a liar. He's one of my best friends, I'm not gonna talk shit about him. Just at him, like a true friend." Laxus says and Evergreen rolls her eyes at this. Laxus then continues, "But the way we hang out … I dunno. I just think Bicks could easily mistaken our hang outs for group dates. Especially since Freed's been busy running for Student Council President against Erza. So, it's just us six."

Evergreen pauses, thinking. "I ... I see where you're going with this. Me and Elfman, you and Mira but –"

Laxus cuts in, "Has Lisanna ever said anything back?"

"P – Pardon?"

"Has Lisanna herself ever openly declared Bicks as her boyfriend? Because every time Bicks declares 'Lissy babe is my girlfriend!', Lisanna shakes her head like she thinks he's trying to be funny. We know Bicks's a jokester but what if Lisanna thinks this is all one big joke?"

Evergreen stays quiet for a while. "We'll have to have a group discussion with Freed later."

"Why not just tell Bickslow right now?" Laxus asks. The fact that he's calling Bickslow by his full name says a lot.

"Are you crazy?!" Evergreen hisses sharply. "We can't say anything to Bicks. It'll break his heart."

Laxus frowns and argues, "But, he'll find out anyways, Ever."

"He's been blissfully unaware up until 's a few more weeks going to do? It won't change anything."

* * *

A tradition starts after Bickslow gifts Lisanna with some funky socks as a way to say 'thank you' for saving him from that bully boy the other day.

It's an ugly socks compensation that turns into a competition. Whoever gifts each other with the ugliest socks win. So, technically, it's like an ugly Christmas sweater party. Except there's no end to it. Currently unwrapped in Bickslow's hands sits a pair of atrocious socks. They're in a shade of mucus green and has little totems on them.

"Thanks, Lissy babe." Bickslow says. "These will keep me warm for sure."

Lisanna only finger guns Bickslow in reply. "You're welcome."

"Warming up to the nickname, eh?"

"No way." Lisanna tells him and sticks out a tongue.

Bickslow frowns. But not at the fact that Lisanna is denying the nickname. "Hey, aren't you cold?"

"A little." – It is Winter, after all.

"Want to borrow my hoodie?"

"Won't you be cold then?" Lisanna cocks her head. She **is** cold but she doesn't want Bickslow to trade his warmth for her sad cold state.

"I don't mind."

And soon socks aren't the only things being exchanged between them. Bickslow lets Lisanna borrow his hoodies when they go on a group outing to the movies. She lets him drink her leftover soda and, sneak a few bites of her food when he whines and claims he's starving.

Things get shared and assumptions get made.

* * *

"Bickslow," His mother calls, walking into the living room to see her son sprayed out on the couch, texting like a typical teenager.

"Yeah, Ma?" Bickslow asks, never once looking up, his thumbs flying across his phone's screen.

"Have you seen my phone? I don't know where it is. Can you call it?"

"Didn't you leave it to charge?" Bickslow answers, eyes never leaving his screen. "You should really move the fruit bowl out of the way, Ma. This is the fifth time this week that you've asked me where you left it."

"Oh right!" She claps her hands together then lets her eyes flit to the kitchen counter through the arching doorway. She's about to leave and grab it, but not before telling him, "Thank you,"

Bickslow mumbles out a reply. "Hmm,"

"Okay, then …" She says then gives him a funny look.

If he was paying attention, Bickslow would have asked her 'What?' and cocked a brow but he's preoccupied so she just repeats her words.

"Okay ..." His mother trails off. "I'm going to eat dinner now."

"Dinner?" He repeats then looks at the clock on the wall. "What the heck? How is it already six?"

The older woman only smiles. "Because you're in love, honey. And everything flies by when you're having the time of your life."

* * *

"Bickslow-senpai pulled another prank on me." Is how Lisanna starts her conversation.

"When?" Lucy asks, running a hand through her hair. Natsu's too busy listening to music to pay attention to the conversation.

"This morning."

"On your birthday?" Lucy asks, she stops fiddling with her long blonde hair.

"Uh-huh, he came to my house at midnight on the dot. Gave me _Dominos_ in a pretty pink wrapped box. It was still warm too." Lisanna explains.

"How is that a prank?"

"He knows my entire family sleeps at ten. Woke everyone up when he rung the doorbell."

"Oh," Lucy's hands braid a small section of her hair. "Did you eat it?"

"Yeah, I mean, he kinda insisted me to. It's pizza. And, it wasn't poisoned so …"

"I heard about it from Elfman. You gotta admit, it was funny." Natsu says, a huge shit-eating grin on his face, earphones now out.

"That's because you're just as childish." Lucy replies, waving a finger.

"That's true." The huge grin remains on the pink hair boy's face. "I enjoy a good prank."

Lisanna states to Natsu, giving Lucy a nudge, "Maybe Bickslow-senpai should be your new best friend then."

"Nah," Natsu says without missing a beat. "I like having you girls by my side. I wouldn't change it for the world."

"Really? Because I think it'd be nice to have a little vacation from you," Lucy jokes and gives a playful wink at Lisanna.

Lisanna taps her chin. "Now that you've mention it …" She trails off for suspense. "… you are super annoying, Natsu."

Natsu's jaw drops comically. Betrayal! What's next? _Game of Thrones_ spoilers? "I take it back! You two are mean!"

* * *

 "That's it! I'm tired of you always acting immature and never taking anything seriously!" She yells at the boy before her. "We're over!"

...

Bickslow's scrolling through _Facebook_ , blissfully entertained by social media until he hears one of his car doors forcefully being pulled open and getting slammed shut.

As soon as the passenger door closes, Bickslow knew he was in for an earful. He wished there was someone else in the car aside from just him and her but, sadly, everyone was busy. Laxus and Elfman had football practice, Mirajane and Evergreen had cheerleading stuff to do and Freed was busy running his campaign against Erza for Student Council President.

"… Lissy babe," Bickslow says slowly as he peered into the rear-view mirror. From the reflection, he sees Lisanna pulling a face. She sits in the backseat with her arms crossed and a tight expression in her face.

She doesn't say anything.

"Lissy babe?" Bickslow repeats. He puts away his phone and blinks at the mirror. He sees the emotion on Lisanna's face, clearly reflecting a look of trouble and loss. Her arms are crossed. Bickslow knows for a fact that Lisanna only crosses her arms when she's upset about something.

"Don't call me that." Lisanna finally says, glaring at her white shoes.

"Are you okay? Do you wanna …" Bickslow trails off, hands gripping the steering wheel. The key's not in and the engine's not running but whatever. "Do you wanna talk about it?" And by 'it', he meant her foul mood. It was obvious that Lisanna Strauss was mad about something.

She huffs. "If I do then I'll start ranting,"

"I don't mind."

"Well, **I do**. I don't want to rant _to_ you," – Okay, ouch.

Bickslow raises a brow as his green eyes continue to stare at her. He holds back a sigh as he turns the key and backs the car out of its parking spot.

"If you don't rant to me –" He says, once again slow, now cruising on the road as the view of the school gets smaller and smaller. "– then who are you going to rant to? Both Mirajane and Elfman have practice and won't get back until four PM. Can you really hold your frustration for all those hours?"

"Maybe," Lisanna mutters and only hums angrily at his logic.

"We could go get a bite," Bickslow suggests, a hopeful raise in his voice. He knows that won't shimmer down her furious state but at least she'll only be angry and not hangry.

Lisanna refuses, "No, just take me home."

"Hey, turn that frown upside down." Bickslow says.

"I'm not in the mood, senpai." Lisanna replies, looking out the window dramatically.

"We should talk about it."

"No, we shouldn't."

"Seriously, Lissy babe, we should talk about it. Get that funk off your chest. My ears are all open, just tell me."

Lisanna holds her gaze out of the window. It's an internal battle until she finally caves and lets out a long sigh. She says in a small voice, "… Natsu and Lucy broke up."

"Oh,"

'Oh'? That's not what Lisanna expected to hear.

"So what? It's just a couple's quarrel." Bickslow says.

Lisanna's head snaps away from the view. "No, _no_ it's **not**! _You_ weren't there, senpai, _I_ was! I heard  everything, _I_ saw it happen! Natsu and Lucy are both _really_ hurt."

Bickslow's fingers tap against the steering wheel. He could feel her anger bubbling from the backseat. "Lissy babe, calm down –"

"I won't!"

"Want me to lighten the mood with a joke?"

"This is no time for jokes! Natsu and Lucy broke up! They're both my best friends, this is a _huge_ mess!" Lisanna explodes. She wasn't aiming her anger at him but she was genuinely distressed. "What am I supposed to do?! I _can't_ pick a side, I _can't_ hang out with one of them then ignore the other! I'm so lost and you joking around isn't helping!" Lisanna yells and Bickslow can tell he's just upset her badly.

A heaviness falls on them.

"I'm sorry. I'll stop with the jokes." He says in a small voice.

Lisanna doesn't reply. Instead, she only frowns harder as she scoots over and curls into a specific corner in the car so that he can't see her using the rear-view mirror. He thinks he made her cry.

"I'm sorry," He repeats.

"I'm sorry too." Lisanna sniffs. "I shouldn't have taken my anger out at you. I'm just – I'm hurt by this too. I just need to be alone right now."

Bickslow's silent until he can't be anymore. He tells her, "Okay," then drives towards a destination.

Despite the fact that Bickslow's sitting behind the wheel and Lisanna's a mere few feet in the back seat, Bickslow felt like they were miles away from each other.

* * *

"Hey, I know that this topic is kinda weird. But, promise me you won't be Natsu's rebound. I know he's going through a tough time now but y'know, I exist so ..." Bickslow tells Lisanna over ice-cream. He did end up taking her somewhere to eat out her feelings. Eating ice-cream in Spring together, how 'romantic'.

Lisanna only shoves a spoonful of mint into her mouth, "This isn't some TV drama, senpai. I won't start making out with one of my best friends. Plus, I see Natsu as a brother. I've known him since we were in elementary school, we're too close for a sudden change."

Air whooshes out of Bickslow's lungs. He places a hand on his fast beating heart. "Phew,"

They eat ice-cream for a little longer before Lisanna asks, "Hey, why did you add that comment of 'I exist, y'know' to your sentence just now?"

Bickslow's eyebrow arches. "Um, because I don't want to be cheated on?"

"Cheated on?" Lisanna parrots. "By who?"

"Uh, **you**. _Duh_."

"Me?" Lisanna blinks, turning away from the double scooped mint. She sounded so unsure, "What are you talking about?"

"We're – We're dating …?" Bickslow asks, his heart speeding up again. The chocolate ice-cream sits uncomfortably in his stomach. "We've been dating for a while now … right?" Now he was the one unsure.

"Huh?" Lisanna voices, she blinks in confusion. "This is another one of your pranks, isn't it, Bickslow-senpai?"

.

.

.

"Oh!" Lisanna gasps, a clenched fist hitting her open palm as if she remembered something. "Wait – I almost forgot about it!" Lisanna says then tells her two best friends.

Both Lucy and Natsu look up from their Math homework. Well, at least, Lucy did. Natsu's just been sneakily playing _Candy Crush_ under the table for the past hour. It's only two weeks into school. Homework is light and practically non-existent.

Lisanna says, "Just before I went off with my family to Balsam, Bickslow-senpai kinda talked me into this outrages thing."

"Balsam?" Natsu echoes. "You mean back in Summer? Man, that was – what? – three months ago?"

Lisanna bobs her head. "Yeah, that's why I almost forgot about it!"

"Was the outrages thing the dating rumour?" Lucy asks.

"Yeah," Lisanna nods again. "He jokingly said that he liked me and wanted us to date."

Lucy raises a blonde eyebrow, pencil tapping against eraser fluff. "Did you say 'yes'?"

"I was in a good mood. So, I played along …"

"Welp, that explains it then."

.

.

.

There's a frown on Lisanna's face and confusion in her beautiful cornflower blue eyes. She's just cried out her eyes an hour ago.

Bickslow wanted to make Lisanna laugh – smile, call him an 'idiot' playfully, smack him on the arm even. He wants her to be happy after he upset her. He made a silent promise to himself in the car that he wouldn't make her feel this way again.

But here she is, _frowning_.

He did that. He just made her frown which is the **opposite** of what he wants. He never wants to see her this upset ever again, especially by his own hands.

"This is another one of your pranks, isn't it?" Lisanna repeats herself.

Bickslow pauses, looking at her in the same fashion he always has – in adoration. Now Lisanna's mouth's curved into a half-grin, it's filled with a feeling of sadness or a dash of feeling lost and a little bit of happiness. Like she's trying to get the joke and wanting to be on the same page.

"You're trying to cheer me up, aren't you?" Lisanna asks.

"I …" He trails off.

And now Lisanna's got that familiar smile on her face. The one he's always loved, the one he's always striving so hard to get until it came so easily and smoothly. He enjoys it when he manages to light up her face like that.

So when Lisanna says, "You're sweet for doing this, Bickslow-senpai", he doesn't have the heart to tell her that's not the case. Bickslow answers with his own fake grin spreading on his face.

"Of course, Lissy ba –" He quickly catches himself and corrects his slip up, "– Lisanna. _Yeah_ , I just wanted to make you laugh. I'm funny, aren't I?"

It's a lie that eats him up alive. But, he _will_ keep as a secret because he'd rather throw himself out a window than ever make her frown again. After years of joking around and fooling his friends with silly pranks, it looks like the tables have turned.

She answers, "Yes, you are."

Haha, he's so funny. Haha, the joke's on him.

* * *

Bickskow stares at his glow-in-the-dark covered ceiling as he remembers the memory that seems so far away.

.

.

.

Summer before it all began.

"I'll miss you." Bickslow tells Lisanna the night before she leaves for her family's little adventure vacation thing.

His arms are folded behind his head. They're laying on the grass like some couple in a Y/A novel. The night is cool and the stars are out. The moon's pretty too. So fucking cliché. He calls dibs on being the frail sick love interest while Lisanna's totally the hunk that's a 17/10 while he's a 4/10 on a good day. Oh, and she's gotta have abs too. Six-pack. Totally out of his league.

"Aww, such kind words from such a cheeky person." Lisanna coos, pinching his arm for fun. "But you won't be alone. The Thunder Legion will be here."

"Yeah but even they've got plans. Laxus is going to his Summer cabin, that rich fucker. Freed's going to Summer camp like a dork and Evergreen's got her cousin's wedding to attend. I'm gonna be **so** bored."

"And lonely," Lisanna adds, a Cheshire grin on her face.

"Yeah, that too." Bickslow goes along with it. "Don't you feel my pain, Lis?"

"Oh, you poor baby." Lisanna teases.

"Pity the poor." Bickslow says, adding a fake sob. "Lend me your shoulder, I needa cry."

"Ew, no. You'll get snot all over my favourite pajama set." Lisanna kicks his knee. That's just how tall he is when they're laying shoulder to shoulder on the grass.

"Fair enough."

Then a comfortable silence falls between them.

"I like you," Bickslow says out of nowhere and a smile quirks upwards on her lips. He doesn't dare meet her eyes though. He's too busy looking at the Milky Way.

"Ah," Lisanna beams at him. Bickslow's such a jokester. Always have been and always will be. He never stops joking once, why should today's sudden declaration be any different? She can play his games. Lisanna says, "I see, _maybe_ I'll accept. As long as I get to be the girlfriend, that is."

Bickslow catches onto the playfulness in her voice. "What? _No way_ , I want to be the girlfriend!" Bickslow pretends to throw a tantrum. "Why do I have to be the boyfriend? I want you to put a ring on it after we graduate."

"Do you think I'm made out of money? My parents have three kids to feed! I can't promise you anything except the idea of proposing to you with an onion ring."

"Oh, shit, I'm sold!"

"I haven't even agreed yet. You're two steps ahead." Lisanna throws grass blades into his face. She's been subconsciously plucking them through their entire conversation. Lisanna tells him. "So what do you plan to do if I agree and say I like you back?"

"The plan? Well, we start dating." Bickslow manages to muster out a reply, face as red as Erza Scarlet's hair. He's extremely nervous even after confessing and joking around. He can hear his heartbeat, it's thundering against his chest and his blood is pulsing noisily in his ears. "I'll get you food whenever you want. I mean, _McDonalds_ and _In-and-out_ and junk like that, yeah? But, food nonetheless. I'll get it for you, even if it's at odd hours like two AM. _Dominos_ for special occasions only and you can't inhale it in one go. Remember, sharing is caring."

Lisanna chortles in response. "Anything else?"

Bickslow continues, hand stretching across the sky like they were planning a bright future. "Then we can talk late into the night about dumb stuff like shit about _Beyoncé_ being in the _Illuminati_ or the fact that water isn't wet. I'll let you steal my hoodies. Uh, maybe you can try to braid my hair? As you can see, I have buzz-cut so it's bad as it gets, but who knows? We can try stuff out. Hmmm, what else? Well, we could hold hands and just make everyone stupidly jealous. Y'know, normal couple stuff."

"Is that so?" Lisanna asks, she lets out a gleeful laugh. Silly Bickslow and his jokes. "Sounds like a nice plan. You've got it all figured out."

"Yeah," He says. "Let's date."

She resists the urge to roll her eyes at his antics. "Eh, why the heck not?" Go along with this joke, that is. "Sure,"

"So once you get back from your family vacation, I'll tell the whole school, okay?"

Lisanna lets out another laugh. "Okay,"

* * *

"Hey, I just saw your girlfriend holding hands with some guy." A person voices to Bickslow three months after _the talk._

"Who?" Bickslow asks, he doesn't tear his eyes away from his phone though. It's almost Summer again. He's gonna graduate and ride off into the sunset away from this hell hole called high school.

"Who?" The person repeats, scratching his cheek. "You mean the guy? I don't know him."

Bickslow corrects himself, "No, I mean, who's my girlfriend?"

"Wait – what do you mean 'who'? I thought you were dating Lisanna Strauss?"

"No," Bickslow says, biting back the urge to tell this person his true feelings. "No, that was all just a joke. I didn't mean any of it."

* * *

**end**

**Author's Note:**

> Joke's on him? Oh no, no, no, joke's on you! (curls into ball) (when it's so fucking cold in the UK that all I write about is the sweet heat of Summer)
> 
> This has been in my drafts since September 2017. I forgot I gave myself this stupid deadline and wrote like fuck so everything here is pure emotion sprinkled with some laziness.
> 
> I'll post that Bixanna story that's rivals to lovers AU … one day (sighs). I've written parts of it but I haven't decided the ending yet. But you guys know me, I never finish anything. There's too many unedited shit I need to post in my laptop.
> 
> Good lord, 8K?! Help me! FRICK! I can't stop writing about my Queen, Lisanna
> 
> Most of my assignments are due during Gruvia week so I can't participate much but I'm gonna read all them Gruvia fics after I submt all my essays, hmmm.
> 
> – 1 April 2018


End file.
